Permutation lock



A. WILLIAMS.

PEHMUTATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1919.

1,412,437. Patented p 11, 1922 3 SHEETSSHEET 1- 1, ummnmmn 1 WITNESSES INVENTOH 7 145245477, c BTW-M fig ATTORNEVS IIIIIIIIII A. WILLIAMS.

PERMUTATION LOCK.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29 19l9. 1,412,437. e ted Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W/ T/VE SSE S mvm'ron M, 15 Arthur WIJZZia @ma-W /411M 6 A. WILLIAMS. PERMUTATION LOCK. APPLICATION'FILED Nov. 2 9, 1919.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- w my r05 Ariar Z L zZZza/ng A TTOR/VEYS UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR WILLIAMS, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

IPERMUTATIOIT LOCK.

Speciflcationof Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1922..

Application filed November 29, 1919. Serial No. 341,383. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in .permutation locks, and has for its object to i provide a simple, neat and inexpensive lock of the character specified, capable of use for locking any two parts, one of which fits within. the other, and especially adapted to lock in place on a motor vehicle the radiator cap.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view lock 111 place,

Figure 2 is a vertical section,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4t is a front view of the collar,

Figure 5 is a similar view of the plug,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the tumbler rings,

Figure .7 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified construction,

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a front View of the key detached,

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing another embodiment of the invention Figure 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Figure 10, V

Figure 12 is a View similar to Figure 10 showing another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 13 is a section Fi ure 12,

igure 14 is a vertical section of another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 15 is a section on the line 1515 of Figure 1 1,

Figure 16 is a top plan view of one of the locking pins,

Figure 17 is a side view with parts 1n section showing a modified construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the lock is shown of the improved on the line 13*1-3 of I in connection with the filling nipple 1 of a Figure 2, and has a head 4 which has a polygonal outline for engagement by a wrench or the like to remove the plug. In the present instance the plug carries a mo tor meter 5. A i

The upper end of the filling nipple is annularly reduced as shown at 6, and this re duced portion is encircled by three tumbler r1ngs 7, the said rings being alike, and each carrying on its peripheral surface a series of letters, numerals or other characters in dicated at 8. The lowermost ring of the series rests upon the shoulder 9 formed be tween the reduced portion and the body of the filling nipple, and the other rings are supported by this ring and by each other, the topmost ring being flush with the top of the nipple.

The plug 3 has an external vertical groove or keyway 10, and this keyway is adapted to be engaged by locking pins 11 which are mounted to move radially of the nipple 1 in openings which are reamed or counter-bored at their outer ends to receive the heads 12 of the pins.

Each ring 7 has an oblong recess 13 on its inner surface, which'is adapted to receive the in fact the contour of a gentle curve, and the recess 13 is similarly shaped. The outer ends of the heads 12 of the pin are rounded, so that when a ring 7 is turned, with the parts in the position of Figure 3, the pins 11 will be forced-inwardly by the engagement of the heads with the ends of the groove 13. On the other hand when the plug 3 is turned with respect to the filling nipple, the pins 11, with the parts in the osition of Figure 3, will be forced outwardl and the plug may turn with respect to the nipple. The rings 7 must be laced in a certain predetermined position with respect to the filling nipple, to bring the grooves 13 in register with the pins, and only one knowing such position, indicated by the characters 8, can so arrange the rings.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 7 8 and .9, the filling nipple 14, of the radiator 15 is closed by a cap 16 which is threaded on to the nipple, engaging out side of the n pple, and the cap carrying the motor meter 17 This cap has an annularly reduced portion 18, near its top, and upon this reduced portion there is arranged a series of tumbler rings 19, similar to the ring 7 of Figure 1.

'lhe periphery of the filling nipple has a flattened surface 20 which forms a locking keyway, for engagement by a key 21. pivoted in a vertical recess 22 in the inner face of the cap. This key as shownis angular consisting of two portions extending at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, and the key is adapted to be engaged within the' keyway 20 whenthe rings 19 are turned in the proper positions, and to be released so that 1t may be swung outward by the turning of the cap with respect to the nipple when the rings are in certain predetermined positions with respect to the other parts.

Each ring 19 has on its inner surface an oblong groove 23 whose ends are inclined as shown in Figure 8, and it will be evident that when these grooves'are in register with the key 21,.the said key may swing outward to release it from the keyway 20.

In Figures 10 and 11, the lock is shown in connection with a filling nipple 24, which is closedby a cap consisting of a ring or collar 25.and a plug 26 which is rotatable within the collar and also movable lon itudinally thereof within limits. The co lar 25 is hinged to the filling nipple as indicated at 27, to swing into or out of closing position as indicated in full and dotted lines in Figure 10. A series of tumbler rings 28 is mounted on the reduced upper end of the collar, and these rings operate locking pins 29 in the same manner as in theconstruction shown in Figures 1 to 6, the pins engaging a keyway in the plug 26, to lock the plug against rotation with respect to the collar.

The lower end of the plug extends below the lower end of the collar, and is provided with oppositely arranged circumferentiallyextendin ribs or lugs 30, which are preferably slig tly inclined or spiral. These ribs are adapted to en age beneath similarly shaped ribs 31 on the inner surface of the fillin ni ple 2 1 to lock the cap to the filling nipp e. ecause of the spiral arrangement of the ribs 3031 the cap will be drawn tightly down on to the filling nipple, and it will be locked against reverse movement by the locking pins which are controlled by the tumbler rings.

In Figures 12 and 13 there is shown a construction wherein the plug 32 fits directly into the filling nipple 33. The upper end of the filling nipple is annularly reduced to receive tumbler rings 34;, which control lock ing pins, not shown, inthe'same manner as they are controlled in Figures 1 and 2.

Atits lower end the plug has a reduced portion as shown, which is provided with circumferentially extending ribs 35, similar to the ribs 30 of Figure 10, and adapted to engage beneath ribs 36 on the inner face of the filling nipple. The ribs 3031 and 35-36, are oppositely arranged, and are 90 or less in length, so that when the ribs 3035 are out of register with the ribs 31--36 respectively, the ribs will pass each other to permit the'plu to move out of the nipple. The ribs 30 of igure 10 are on the reduced lower end of the plug, and the ribs 35'-36 are spiral or inclined for the same purpose as the ribs 3031.

In Figures 14 and '15 the same arrangement is ,shown for locking the ignition. In this arrangement the collar 37, which corresponds to the filling nipple of the constructions just described is rigidly secured to the instrument board 38, in such manner that it cannot be removed from the outside. The upper end of the collar is reduced to receive tumbler rings 39 which operate the locking pins 40 mounted in the same manner and controlled by the locking rings in the same manner as in the construction of F igures 1 and 2. The plug 41 has keyways 90 apart as shown in Figure 15 for receiving the pins, so that the plug may be locked two positions. The plug has threaded engagement with the collar as shown, and at its inner end it contacts with the terminals of the ignition circuit 42 to close said circuit. It will be noticed that the inner end of the plug has nipples or buttons 43 for engaging the terminals, and the two keyways permit the plug to be locked in open or closed position.

has ,no key to become lost, and is always in place, ready for duty.

It will be understood that if desired a ball may be used instead of a locking pin, such a ball as is used for instance in ball bearings. With this construction the holes in the collar instead of being bored or counterbored to receive the larger end of the locking pin would be reamed with a conical tool, so that the ball could engage the keyway in the plug, but could not drop completely through the hole in the collar.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 17 the construction is the same as that shown in Figure 1 with the exception that balls are used forthe locking means instead of locking pins. In this construction,.the plug l l screws into the nipple 45,

and the nipple is encircled by the tumbler rings 46, corresponding to the rings 7 of Figure l. The plug has an external vertical groove or keyway 47, which is adapted to be engaged by the locking balls 48, the said balls being mounted to move radially of the nipple in the same manner as the pins. The tumbler rings have recesses49 on their inner faces for receiving the balls when in unlocking position.

It will be understood that the lock is a multiple lock, each tumbler ring, except in the construction of Figure 7, and its locking pin or ball is a lock, operating independently of the other rin 5, their balls and pins, sofar as the function of locking is concerned. The lock in its simplest form consists of the locking means mounted to move radially of one of the telescoping elements,

the other of the said elements having a recess for engagement by the locking means, together with the tumbler ring having also a recess for receiving the locking means, the said locking means being controlled to locking movement by the ring, and to unlocking movement by the rotation of the elements with respect to eachother.

I claim:

1. In combination with elements fitting one within the other and rotatable with respect to each other, said elements being movable with respect to each other longitudisition, and releasable 'means in connectionwith the elements for preventing such angul lar movement,said means being controlla from outside the elements, and comprising radially movable locking pins and tumbler rings for moving said pins in one direction, the innermost of said elements having a keyway and the tumbler rings having grooves for engagement b the pins to permit said pins-to release the keyway or the tumbler rings, said rings being rotatable on the said outermost element.

2. The combination with a screw cap and a tubular member arranged to be closed by said screw cap, of means for locking said cap and said tubular member together, and a plurality of rings rotatable about said screw cap and forming combination means for actuating said locking means.

3. The combination with a tubular member and a closure cap having an attaching portion provided with a groove, locking pins slidable through said into said groove, said pins being provided with rounded heads, annuli rotatably sur rounding said tubular member and having grooves receiving said rounded heads, the ends of said second named grooves being inclined for urging said pins. inwardly as the annuli are rotated.

ARTHUR WILLIAMS.

tubular member and 

